Kraal
by Acaciahoney
Summary: Imagine Bella and Jacob transported to Northumberland, England, where their romance is the centre of the story. When Bella moves to Westwood Falls, little does she know that she's about to discover a dark secret linked to a murder investigation, and fall love with the mysterious Jacob, a handsome boy with a tragic past. Can Rose and Jacob escape the hold of the Kraal?
1. Chapter 1

p style="text-align: center;"Cole/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"DC Robert Cole rubbed his eyes in the glare of the red lights flashing like a beacon in a sea of grey. The interior of the car was ice cold, like a mortuary, the air-conditioning turned up in an attempt to wake him from his early morning stupor. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"He nodded curtly to the solemn police officer who waved him through the makeshift blockade – two patrol cars parked across the forest road, the rain bouncing off the roofs. The officers inside reversed just enough to let the Detective Constable through, then they returned to their original positions, bumper to bumper. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole pulled up next to another patrol car at the side of the road. The back door was open and a man sat on the backseat with his head in his hands. There was a black, shaggy-furred dog at his feet, unperturbed by the rain or the situation that had unfolded around him. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Trees lined both sides of the road, the branches meeting in the middle, forming a canopy that cast the road into near-darkness. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"They had already cordoned off the area where the body was found, the tape wrapped around the trees looked odd and out of place in the lush, green thicket, spoiling the natural beauty of the woodland. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole reached for his waterproof jacket strewn across the backseat and took a deep breath before exiting the car. His colleague, DC Katherine Brown, met him with a grim expression and a cup of coffee in a polystyrene cup. Her face was fresh and makeup-free, but pale./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri;"span style="font-size: medium;""Morning." Despite the early hour, Brown's platinum hair was pulled back into an immaculate ponytail, but the soft, untamed curls around her face were stuck to her skin and tiny beads of rainwater clung to her eyelashes like dew on a spider's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Before he took the cup from her, Cole pulled the hood of her navy raincoat over her head, so that the increasingly heavy rain rolled off the peak. She did not object, instead she smiled, somewhat awkwardly, regarding him with dark eyes that shone in the half light./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole cleared his throat. "What do we know?" He took the polystyrene cup from Brown and carefully removed the lid before taking a sip. It was still hot, with a little milk and plenty of sugar, just how he liked it. Cole watched Brown's eyes flick back to the crime scene. She was younger than him by twelve years, fast tracked through the ranks because of her sharp mind and an enthusiasm that fuelled her will to succeed. Cole was supposed to be her mentor, but she had surpassed him in every way – speed, agility, a passion for the job. He did not resent her, nor did he take any credit for her talent. He simply watched her, with a kind of captivation. She was the most intelligent person he knew, though he would never tell her. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Victim is a male Caucasian, late teens, believed to have been out here for around six hours, a dog walker found him about an hour ago, called it straight in. As well as the bullet wound, there are lacerations to the back, left shoulder, head, neck and chest."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole followed her towards the yellow tape that snapped against the wind, as though warning the on-comer to stay back. Brown ducked into the crime scene and crept carefully around the perimeter. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Bile Bella in Coles' throat as his eyes found the body. After all these years, he was accustomed to the sight of a dead body, but that of a child always left him feeling nauseated. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"The grass was sparse here, the ground uneven, as though it had been disturbed many times before. "What about the weapon?" /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Brown shook her head. "The wound indicates that he was shot in the back at long range, it took just one bullet to kill him, but we'll have to wait for the autopsy to find out what gun they used."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole rubbed the day-old stubble on his chin. "He was running from his killer." /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Brown nodded. "Heavy rain during the night washed away most of the surface prints and this is a popular place for hikers, so the whole forest is teeming with footprints," She pointed to the ground beyond where the body lay. "Looks like he was carried and dumped here. Whoever did this, they wanted us to find him."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole crouched down at the edge of the grass, placing his coffee cup by the side of the road within easy reach. The boy lay face down in the mossy undergrowth, he wore faded jeans, but his feet and torso were bare. His back was a patchwork of cuts and bruises and deep welts ran down his spine like claw marks, but they did not disguise the hole made by the bullet. It had cut through the flesh just to the left of the spine, then travelled through the body until it found the boy's heart. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"He looked barely sixteen, his straw-coloured hair obscuring much of his face. With a pang, Cole thought about his own children. He suddenly found it difficult to breathe steadily. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Have you ever seen marks like this before?" Brown asked. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""No, never."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""They look like claw marks, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"animal/em claw marks, but there aren't any wild animals capable of inflicting that kind of wound in these parts."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""A lynx?" /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Brown shook her head. "The lynx is a timid creature, they would never attack a human and they are barely bigger than a house cat. Besides, the reintroduction scheme tracks all of the animals," She chewed on her bottom lip, a behaviour that Cole was familiar with. He recognised it as a sign of Brown's frustration when she couldn't immediately piece things together. "The lacerations look like they were inflicted by something much bigger, each one is twelve millimetres wide. Then there's the bullet wound…"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole sighed heavily. "He may have been attacked with another weapon before they shot him. That might explain the lacerations." /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Brown looked like she wanted to contradict him, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Any idea who the boy is?"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""None of our missing person reports match his description," Brown replied. "But it's still early, he might not have been missed yet."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole imagined a Mother waking to find her child's bed empty, the sheets smooth like they had never been slept in. Once they found out who the boy belonged to, it would be Brown who would tell the family that the boy was dead. She had a way of delivering the news that was direct, but not without feeling. She would console the grieving mother, calm the angry father, then she would give the signal to Cole and he would begin to ask the difficult questions that would lead them to their son's killer./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Cole looked up at the grey sky; the rain had eased, but the surrounding trees still wept droplets of ice cold water. He stifled a yawn with the back of his hand, it was going to be a long day./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p 


	2. Chapter 2

p style="text-align: center;"Bella/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"The green countryside whipped by in a blur, my new life hurtling towards me at a speed that I was powerless to stop. I ignored the churn of my stomach as my mother raced along the motorway, barely bothering to check her mirrors when she changed lanes. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"The boxes of our belongings rustled on the backseat alongside our plaid-patterned luggage. Mum said we had to just bring the essentials, so the only furniture we brought was her therapy table. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri;"span style="font-size: medium;"She used to be a Beauty Therapist, before she met Dad. She kept all of her equipment stored in the attic, like she knew her time with him was temporary and one day she'd have to start earning a living style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I pushed my earphones further in to drown out her ongoing monologue that had started somewhere near Lancashire and had continued for the last three hours. I turned up the volume on my iPod as she continued to criticise my father, repeating everything she had said to him over the last few months and all of the things she wished she had said when she found out he was sleeping with his secretary. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Hey," Mum leaned across and pulled the wire so that the earphones tumbled in to my lap. "Bella, I'm talking to you."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I rolled my eyes. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""I know this is a big change for you," Mum continued, despite my obvious indifference. "But you'll adore Westwood Falls. You'll make new friends and you'll love Gran's farm."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"She smiled at me and I responded with a sarcastic grimace. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Aw come on, Bells, you love animals." Mum's face is pale, just like mine, and her mouth naturally turns up at the sides. It hides her sadness. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Yeah, like cute fluffy animals. Not cows, and sheep, and who knows what else."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""It's only temporary," She sighed. "As soon as the divorce is finalised and I get my settlement, we'll buy our own place."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I shoved one of the earphones back in place, sliding it under the curtain of my hair so Mum wouldn't notice. She continued on with her verbal tour of Westwood Falls – the high street of boutiques and vintage bookshops, the orchard out the back of Gran's farm and the stream that runs behind it, the acres of woodland that cuts the town off from the rest of civilisation. I couldn't even feign excitement. I had a choice about moving of course, I was sixteen. I could have stayed with my Father, stayed at my old school, kept my old friends, but when he announced that he was moving em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"her/em in, my decision was easy. I would have rather spent the rest of my life living in a shed in the countryside, up to my knees in cowpat, than spend one day under the same roof as the woman I had affectionately named 'Home Wrecker'./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""The countryside is so beautiful up North; you'll be able to take lots of photographs." Mum readjusted the sunglasses on her face. I couldn't see her eyes, but I knew they were ringed with red./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"My hands twitched reflexively around the bag in my lap. My camera was a gift for my sixteenth birthday; my parents gave it to me to cushion the blow of their impending separation. It was my most cherished possession and the most expensive thing I owned./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Do they even em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"have/em a photography class at em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"that/em college?"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""No," Mum said, somewhat impatiently. "But they do have Art classes."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Great/em."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Mum peered at me over the top of her Ray-Bans and I caught sight of her pale, uncoated eyelashes. A driver in a sleek, red sports car swerved to miss us, beeping his horn peevishly as our car drifted into the middle lane. I gasped and drew my knees up to my chest. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Mum waved her middle finger at the driver. "MASOGINISTIC PIG! Thinks he owns the motorway." /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Mother! Will you em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"please/em keep your eyes on the road?"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"She pushed her sunglasses back up her nose and hissed through her perfect, white teeth, before continuing with her sales pitch. "I know you're worried about starting a new college, but I checked the latest inspection report and it's outstanding."br / "I'm sure it is." I petulantly folded my arms across my chest./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Bella, you're not giving it a chance," Mum sighed. "We're not even in Westwood yet and you've already decided that you hate it." She gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand and flicked her blonde hair impatiently off her face with the other. She swerved sharply into the outside lane to overtake a car pulling a caravan and I held my breath as she narrowly missed the trailer. "Give it a few weeks and you'll love it."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""If it's so great, why did you leave?"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Her lips snapped shut, but I saw her bottom lip quiver. She stared resolutely ahead for the rest of the journey, huffing now and again so that I would know that she was annoyed. After a while, I thought I heard a faint sob and I felt a sharp twinge of guilt. I looked around the curtain of my hair and I saw tears falling from the corners of her eyes. I reached across and squeezed her hand, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words that she needed to hear. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"I'm sorry. Everything's going to be alright./em It was time for her to be the adult now./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"When my father told me that he and Mum were separating, I was relieved. They'd spent the last year arguing, screaming at each other late into the night. They didn't care that I heard all of the horrid things they said to each other. They were too caught up trying to salvage the tatters of their marriage. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 400.1pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I slid the other earphone in and I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pitching motion of the car. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"A couple of hours later, we passed the 'welcome' sign for Westwood Falls, and Mum pulled the car off the main road on to a narrow country lane. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Bile rose in my throat as I looked up at the greying skies, broken only by the ragged branches of the overarching trees. It was almost autumn, yet everything here was still lush and green. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"The rain splattered against the windows as we drove up the uneven dirt track towards the whitewash farmhouse. Hart Farm. Gran still supplied eggs and other produce to the smaller shops in town. It was prettier than I remembered, an L-shaped dormer with a grey slate roof and lace curtains at the windows. The front garden was lined with neat evergreens and chickens wandered up the driveway, scattering when they heard the sound of the oncoming car and squawking with disdain./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"It had been years since I'd visited the farm, the last time was just after my Grandfather died, I was twelve years old. After that, I only saw my Grandmother at Christmas and birthdays, when she would get the train to Kensington to come stay with us. She had a strained relationship with my Father. She said he was selfish and self-absorbed, he called her senile./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I rolled down the window to get a better look at the house. I instantly regretted it. The air was thick with the smell of manure and smoke, and my stomach heaved. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"The car pulled to an abrupt standstill and I threw the door open, scattering the contents of my bag on to the ground. My stomach heaved again and I vomited a rainbow of orange, yellow and green all over my new, suede boots./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I heard the slam of the car door, and then Mum's hurried footsteps as she rushed to my side. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Bella, sweetie, are you OK?" She caught me as I swayed on the spot. Despite her small frame, she was as strong and unyielding as the tall, ancient oaks we passed on the way in to Westwood Falls and I leaned heavily against her as she helped me up the gravel path towards the house. The cool wind whipped deliciously against my face, but I fought the urge to take a big, gulping breath, worried that the smell of the countryside might make me hurl again. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Come on, let's get you inside." Mum pushed the door open and half carried me into the cool, dark hallway. She gently lowered me onto a chair by the sideboard and then hurried through to the kitchen. "We're here!"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""I'll be right with you, Renee!" I heard Gran call back. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I propped my forearms on my knees and let my head fall forward, my hair sticking to my clammy cheeks and neck. The hallway smelled strongly of polished wood and lavender, an improvement on the stench from outside, and I hazarded a deep, shaky breath. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Bella, darling. Are you alright?"/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""Hi Gran." I tried to lift my head, but the motion brought on another wave of nausea and everything started to turn. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Gran got the bucket under my face just in time. "I think we best get you to bed."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Mum and Gran helped me into the guest bedroom on the ground floor. I flopped down on the soft, springy bed and Mum pulled off my sodden boots. She gently lifted my cashmere jumper over my head and laid my head against the cool, floral sheets like I was a baby. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"I heard the sound of running water in the kitchen and then Gran returned with a cracked, ceramic bowl that sloshed when she walked. She pressed a damp flannel to my head and I closed my eyes, savouring the cold relief. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Mum stroked the damp hair off my forehead. "She gets travel sick."/span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"Gran clucked with sympathy as she leant over me. My vision blurred, I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I saw her platinum blonde hair and her rounded face as she dabbed the flannel around my cheeks. I caught the scent of her rose water perfume and nostalgia stirred within me, childhood memories flickering through my mind like an old film reel. /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p  
p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;""You'll feel better after some rest." Gran said. She ushered Mum out of the room as my eyes fluttered shut, then I heard the door close behind them with a soft click./span/p  
p style="text-align: left;" /p 


	3. Chapter 3

Bella

I woke to the smell of eggs and bacon, my stomach grumbling like a feral animal unfurling after being disturbed from a deep sleep.

I blinked in the light of the morning sun streaming through the crack in the curtains and surveyed my new bedroom. There was an aged, floral lightshade suspended from the ceiling and cobwebs lingered in every corner of the room. I wrinkled my nose at a sinister damp patch near the window as I kicked back the covers.

I padded over to the old cherry-oak dresser to check my reflection in the dusty, vanity mirror. My chestnut hair fell forward in a tangled mess and I let out a groan as I rubbed at the smudged mascara under my eyes. I have brown eyes, like my father, but the rest of my face is just like Mum's – rounded with a small, upturned nose.

I found my suitcases standing near the tall wardrobe and I pitched the biggest case up on to the bed, looking despairingly at the narrow wardrobe. I fished out my toiletry bag and shoved it under my arm, before tying my hair up into a knot on top of my head. I was desperate for a shower.

I followed the sweet, smoky smell of breakfast along the hall to the kitchen and I gasped as I peered round the door. Gran's former country kitchen had been replaced by a huge, extended space. The floor was stone and there were exposed beams in the high ceiling, Gran and Mum sat at a huge, oak table in front of a roaring fire with a tall hearth.

Mum had her back to me. Gran looked serious as she spoke to her, but she brightened when she saw me. "Morning, sweetie. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you." I cast a glance across the glossy worktops and the chrome handles, feeling a little resentful that my bedroom wasn't given the same attention.

My Mother looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Morning. There's fresh coffee if you want some?" Her eyes were ringed with red and her hair was dishevelled. I'd never seen her without a full face of makeup or her signature shades. The effect was a little startling, like she had already given up on herself.

"Coffee would be great."

"How do you like the new kitchen?" Gran asked.

"It's amazing."

Gran smiled. "I thought it was time that I updated this old place," She cast her eyes up to the ceiling. "There's a new bathroom too."

"Great, I need a shower." I said, scrunching my nose as I pulled at the knot on top of my head.

"You go ahead," Gran said. "I've put fresh towels out. But don't stay in there all morning, breakfast won't be long."

I hurried upstairs, my stomach complaining noisily. I found the bathroom at the end of the hall, it was huge, even bigger than my bathroom back home. There was a deep, claw-footed bathtub and a glass shower cubicle, disturbingly big enough to permit two bodies.

The water seemed to take forever to heat, but when I finally jumped under the spray, it was glorious. I felt all of the tension in my shoulders melt away, the knot of anxiety in my stomach loosened and the anger I felt towards my Father…. still burned as bright as ever. I cursed him as I scrubbed at my hair. He didn't even say goodbye when we left.

I left the bathroom feeling refreshed, if a little irritated. I padded back downstairs to my bedroom, each step making the old stairs groan. I couldn't help but sulk when I took in the aged décor, the new kitchen and bathroom were like a different building.

There were two other bedrooms upstairs, Gran's room and my Mother's. I wondered, selfishly, if my Mother's room was any better and I thought about asking her to swap. I pulled the towel from around myself and used it to pat my hair dry, enjoying the feeling of my skin drying in the warm light seeping through the threadbare curtains.

When I threw the curtains open, I hadn't counted on there being someone on the other side and I let out a scream when I saw the boy standing there. He looked just as shocked as me, his dark eyes wide, a cigarette hovering halfway to his lips. I quickly dropped to the floor.

"Everything OK, sweetie?" My Mother stormed into the room, scanning the space for the source of my terror.

I hastily wrapped my towel back around myself as I raised up on my knees to peer out of the window, my heart hammering in my chest. The boy was gone. "I saw someone outside."

Gran appeared at my Mum's shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Bella saw someone outside."

I pointed at the window. "It was a boy. I opened the curtains and he was right outside the window."

To my surprise, Gran chuckled. "That'll be Jacob; he helps out on the farm. Don't worry; I'm sure he's more scared of you than you are of him."

I pulled a face at Gran's back as she bustled back out into the hall. "Breakfast's on the table." She called over her shoulder.

Mum continued to look at me, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you OK, Bella?"

"No, I'm not OK," I hissed. "Look at this room, the walls, this bedcover." I tugged at the corner of the duvet to emphasise my point.

"I'll get you a new bedspread." Mum sighed.

"It's not just the bed," I threw my hands up and flopped down heavily on the mattress. "I don't want to go to the new college and I don't want to stay here."

"Keep your voice down," My Mother hissed back. "Your Grandmother didn't have to take us in. I'm doing my best. I couldn't afford to send you to another private school." The tears in her eyes were back. She looked so small standing in the doorway in her pink dressing gown and matching, fluffy slippers.

"Mum, I'm sorry." I threw my arms around her shoulders. "Please don't cry."

She wiped her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm fine. I'll get dressed and then I'll pop into town for a few things, try to spruce this place up a little. Your Grandmother doesn't have time, what with the farm and everything. She spent so much money on the extension."

I nodded. "I'll help."

Mum kissed the top of my head and shuffled out of the room. "Come on, let's have breakfast."

After we ate, Mum asked if I wanted to go shopping, but I didn't feel up to another car ride just yet, so I gave her a list of things we would need to make this place feel more like home. A new bedspread and light shade were right at the top.

Mum seemed a little perkier as she got into the car, as if the prospect of updating the old guestroom had given her a sense of purpose. She even applied mascara and a slick of lip-gloss before she left.

I watched her drive away as I pulled on a pair of Gran's old wellingtons by the back door.

The smell of the fresh coffee we'd had with breakfast still permeated the air and I longed to curl up in front of the fire with a book, but Gran insisted on showing me around since it had been so long since I was last here.

She showed me where the cows grazed in the field and how the chickens wandered around the farm laying their eggs wherever they pleased.

I scooped up another egg and placed it carefully in the basket that I carried for Gran.

"It's fun, isn't it?" Gran nodded at the basket, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her blue overalls.

I grinned at her. "I guess."

We passed a sullen man hammering nails into the perimeter fence, he nodded curtly in greeting.

"That's Sam," Gran said. "He helps run things around here. He's fixing up the fence to keep…things out."

"What things?"

"Deer, mostly. One of them got into the farm the other day and broke its leg; they had to shoot the poor thing. We lost a couple of chickens too last week; Sam thinks it was a fox."

"Or the Westwood Wildcat." Sam mumbled, not bothering to look away from his work.

"Wildcat?

Gran glared at Sam. "Pay no attention, Bella, just a silly story. There have been sightings of a so-called wild cat for years, but they've become more frequent since the lynx reintroduction scheme."

"The what?"

"The lynx reintroduction scheme. The animals were wiped out over a thousand years ago, but a conservation programme brought them to the woods to control the deer population. Westwood Falls was one of the very first reintroduction sites."

"Aren't they…dangerous?"

"No, dear, they would never harm a human, they're too fearful of us. You won't see them down here."

Sam glanced sideways as we passed, but added nothing further to our conversation.

"He seems friendly." I said with a smirk.

"He's a soldier, or at least he was. He was discharged from the army about eight months back. A roadside bomb went off right by him, now he's completely deaf in one ear."

"Oh. Is he…OK?"

"He's fine now, apart from the hearing. He's been a huge help; I don't know what I would do without him. Can't do all the work I used to. Oh and here's Jacob." Gran pointed in the direction of the stables and my cheeks reddened. It was the boy from the window. He wasn't particularly tall, maybe only a few inches taller than my five foot six, but he was handsome. His dark hair was tousled, like he had just raked his hands through it and the top half of his overalls were tied around his waist. He wore a closefitting, black T-shirt that showed off the muscles in his chest and arms.

As he approached, he glanced my way and his eyes skimmed over my body, his face flushed. My heart pounded in my chest, so hard that I was sure he would hear it. I looked down at the crumpled jumper I had pulled from my suitcase and Gran's red, polka dot wellingtons. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Jacob, this is my Granddaughter, Bella. I believe you two have already met." Gran chuckled at her own joke.

Jacob smiled uneasily. "I've mucked out the stables, changed the water and the hay. Is there anything else you need me to do before I make a start on the hen house, Mrs Hart?"  
"Thank you, yes, can you go give Sam a hand?"  
"Sure."

I stepped aside to let Jacob pass, staring down at the ground as he walked by.

When I looked up at Gran she was smirking at me.

"What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on the balls of her feet. "You know, Jacob is your age; he might be in some of your classes at college,"

 _Great._

"He's such a nice boy, good worker, but he's had a hard life. His younger brother died a few years back."

"That's awful." I looked past her at Jacob. Just as he was about to disappear around the side of the barn, he turned and our eyes met. We both looked hastily away.

"His Mother's not around much," Gran continues. "She's either busy working or off with some man she just met. His father left years ago."

And I thought I had problems.

"He's easy on the eyes too."  
"Gran!"

Gran laughed heartily. "Come on, let's see if we can find anymore eggs before they get trampled."

I felt a sense of pride as I stacked the eggs in the pantry that night, along with baking apples that I had picked from the orchard, but as I sat down for dinner, my face blazed when I saw Jacob sitting opposite.

"Jacob and Sam always join me for Sunday dinner." Gran explained with a smile. "Your Mother's not back yet, so hers is in the oven."

I chewed carefully, conscious of the way my mouth moved when I ate, taking smaller bites than I normally would.

"You're not hungry, Bella?" Gran asked.

Jacob's eyes found mine, I noticed they were a vivid green. I looked down and pushed a piece of carrot around my plate until he looked away. "I'm fine Gran, the food's lovely."

"No need to stand on ceremony, dear, get it down. You need fattening up."

My cheeks flushed and I pushed my plate away. "I'm done; may I please be excused?"

Sam looked at me curiously and Gran looked a little hurt, but she nodded. I tried not to look at Jacob as I hurried to my room.

I found Mum standing on a stool scrubbing the top of the wardrobe, a lemon-fresh scent filling the space.

A lilac bedspread covered the bed in place of the aged, floral bedcover and a purple woven lampshade hung from the ceiling, casting the room in a mauve glow.

"Mum? We thought you were still out."

She stepped down from the stool. "I wanted to surprise you. Do you like it?"

"It's great," I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "Thank you."

"I know it's not much, honey, but I hope it makes you feel more at home." She regarded me with big, blue eyes, ringed red from crying.

I smiled at her, but I couldn't help but compare the tiny, dark guest room to my huge bedroom back in Kensington, with the queen size bed and the lemon yellow walls.

"I got you this too," Mum handed me a pink, A5 planner. "I thought it would be handy for college."

My stomach twisted with nerves. "Do I have to go?"

"Yes," Mum said, brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Just give it a chance," She started to gather up her cleaning supplies. "Unless you'd prefer to help Gran out on the farm, she could do with an apprentice."

I frowned at her. "I'll try college."


End file.
